Bookanistas Review: Pivot Point

My book of choice* today? Pivot Point by Kasie West. Here’s the blurb:

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t have high hopes for this book. I mean, I though I’d like it enough to warrant buying it, but I never figured it would be that good. Because the novel alternates between one possible reality and the next, I worried the two stories of her potential futures would get confusing, that they’d be too similar, or that seeing both possibilities would be boring in a Groundhog Day sort of way. (And, yes, I’m admitting again that I majorly dislike that movie.)

Good news: This book rocked. Not only were the two stories each different and gripping, but there’s slight overlap that plays into the mystery and makes you wonder whether disaster is simply inevitable. Addie is a strong, likeable character in both realities, and the side characters are just as rich (especially the Norm boy Trevor, who I might have a slight major crush on).

But the best part of the book is the ending. Without giving too much away, Addie is faced with a difficult decision when choosing between the two realities. It’s more than where she’s having the most fun or where she fits in best. She’s forced to make some really tough choices, and while I think she picked correctly, I was still heartbroken at what she lost.

In short, there’s really no choice. Both of your realities lead to you reading Pivot Point. (I KNOW THESE THINGS, FRIENDS.)